ICG provides assistance to merchant vessel that suffered total power failure on maiden voyage

Manned by 14 crew the ship, on Thursday, suffered the failure of all three Diesel Alternators, bedsides its backup generator.

New Delhi: Merchant vessel JSW Mihirgad, a 122-meter long vessel safely entered the New Mangalore harbour during the wee hours of Saturday, thanks to timely assistance by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The merchant ship suffered a total power failure on its maiden voyage from Kochi, Kerala to Jaigarh, Maharashtra, leaving it dead in the water. 

Manned by 14 crew, on Thursday, the ship suffered the failure of all three Diesel Alternators, bedsides its backup generator. This necessitated the ship to drop anchor about 4.5 nautical miles off Kasargod, Kerala and raise a distress call. In the absence of propulsion, lighting, ventilation, caused by total power failure, the crew was also unable to prepare food or water through its onboard systems.

Based on this information, ICG District Headquarters at New Mangalore conducted a situational assessment for the safe embarkation of the technical team from M/s Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), which built the ship. However, due to adverse sea conditions with the high swell, usage of boats was ruled out and helicopters were considered a safe option. 

On Friday, ICG Helicopter CG 817 airlifted the deputed technical staff(cochin shipyard limited) from New Mangalore for rendering assistance, performing repairs to the ship. ICGS Varaha, which was in the area was also deployed immediately on Friday to monitor the situation and provide towing assistance, in case the vessel starts drifting towards the coast, due to rough weather. 

Besides continuously tracking the vessel through its Coastal Security Network, the ICG facilitated the rectification of technical issue, thus saving 14 lives and averting a potential environmental disaster.